Is this a sign of creditor harassment?

Massachusetts residents sometimes find themselves facing financial hardships. These difficulties come and go. They are often hard to predict. They make life a little tougher for everyone. The last thing you need on top of your financial burden is harassment.

Unfortunately, some debt collectors will harass people to get their money. This is illegal, but it still happens. Today we will look at some behavior that makes up debt collector harassment.

What does harassment look like?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau talks about the victims of collection harassment. They cite the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). This act prohibits the oppression, harassment or abuse of people in debt.

Some examples of harassment are more obvious than others. For example, debt collectors cannot yell or curse at you. They cannot use abusive language. This includes threatening you or your family. This type of harassment is easy to spot and identify.

Other types of harassment is more subtle. A debt collector may start calling your house every day. If they do not identify themselves, this counts as harassment. If they call you too often with the intent to annoy or heckle you, this is harassment. The same goes for any attempt to contact you, whether by phone, mail or in person.

Subtle forms of debt harassment

Debt collectors also sometimes menace their victims. They do this by dropping covert threats about taking their property. They may sit in a car outside of the home to keep an eye on the house and its occupants. The intention here is to “spook” a homeowner. Sometimes, they attempt to make a public shame of the person in debt. They do this by publishing their name on a debt list and posting it in public.

These examples constitute harassing behavior. If you face any of it, consider discussing your options with an attorney.